New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-27


ress from the national point of view"
NJ Renan has chapter on the Oracle OF lahVc
which is certainly interesting. bnt which throws
very little light upon the subject, inasmuch as ne
lnterprets everything AZ fraud which Will not pear
a markedly materialist cX olanation. Thus lie sup
poses the employment of an idol which turned us
head automatically and so gave responses To qncS-
tons In a word conjuring and mechanisi" are MS
last words Yet he is constrained 10 compliment
the priesthood by the admission, curious for hn'
that the belief IN the oracle OF lahyc wou'd nave
had mischicvuus results had not the whoIc
machinery "been IN the hands OF the leaders a"n
saQes of the nation, who dictated IN resp 'nsc''
and also those of the nrim and Mammin.' What.
he thinks the oracle did threaten, was, the proph''s
at creates a dangerous competition. Mechanism
threatened 10 stilc mind; the Ievitc menaced the
Nab: the cal oracle deaf h 10 free lnsp'ra-
tion In Israel But the whole discussion OF TINS
topic IncudIng VI. Remains specu atoms on the Use
of the ephod and the WiR and hUmmm Is obscure
and unsatisfactory, 1t is plainly alike unfamiliar
and dstasteiul to him. and nc leaves 1t AZ bah"y
mysterious az he found It. HIS remarks on the orr
gin and growth of sacrifice and Of the gradual
changes III the conception of the national GodAead
are far more penetrating and lucid
Though firmly established III Palestine, Israel ic-
tanned the nomadic life long. he family was the
ment survived Not only did tle whole nation
refuse 10 obey any federal authority, but cscn tr'o
lived IN KIND OF anarchy closely analogous TO
that of the Arab tribes of today" Tie military
smrit too was weakening, and among 50 many
hostile neIghbors people mus destitute oil inStitn-
tons and organizations was I!l-iiited to hold us
own When the ISraclIcs found themselves too
closely pressed they arranged temporary al
liances which tided them over the dan
ror ond tho commanders of these
cphcmcral fedcrations have com down &
Us as the JUDGES Tley took the name c2't
from the Canaanites OF The ci,ic> which. Lacking
royal houses. bestowed it upon thcir conHu's. The
Hebrew soGi exactly re,cnblcd the ioman Dlcil-
tor. but the theocratic lalt of the lsractcs gave
Him also religions character; a sort OF mil'aIy
prophet.
During this period history was written chiefly III
popular songs. S.r;cly speaking II was not writ
ten at all Tor writing Was not We; IN use IN, events
were preserved r,ugI -ong, and NJ. kcnan holds
that IN many cases the songs are more
trustworthy than the later work of
the scribcs He devotcs an eloquent
chapter to the Song Of Dcb,ra and BArak. III Nus
tration OF his views on his point. The Israeli -,
with their traditional Industry, acquired wealth
and increased III numbers rapidly. But they were
mucl exposed t. the predatory attack, of the mo-
take shelter IN cavcrns. winch they barrie Grl. or
upon rocky SUBMITS which could be defended
easily. This IS the general condition AT Oh" be-
ginning of the evolution of royalty, and VI. hcnan
account OF 1t Is extremely VIVID and realistic The
fa lure of the first Experiment. in ng,hIp with the
death of Abimcck. POSTPONED the Foundation OF u
dyna ~ % hundred and fifty or TWO hundred wears
In discussing the legends of the period NJ. Rcuan
consi icrs the story of Jcphthas daughter ard That
of Samson he former he regards n possibly
founded on fact. human sacrifices, though th"oiet-
cal.y condemned long previously havlHg been ID
practice retained. reverted 10 at i:tcsy1,. S,in
son, or >suson is he spells IT, he Is disposed 10
look upon as a solar myth. The til ory Is npi D'".
and he does not undertake 20 support II b,
serious argument. There Is no r ason. nat.r-
aiist or other. why remarkably strong man.
such as have existed IN all countries
and at all times, should not have actually lyri,
and II Is perfectly comprehensive that legends
should have grown mp about his wonderful mn~cn-
ll1 fcats. VI. Rcnan points ont thai the Pc,A-,iar
PhIIstInes nigh. have introduced 80 nr my a. and
those of Hercules; but he Is constrained 10 add
that considering the strong rcpu!-loI mlniic,icd
by the Hebrews toward mythology better fidon'"
than such conjecture il needed to supper thr
hypo he-ls. 4 most interesting and prcgn1pi co D.
pari.ou between GIccian and jewish history.
aud consideration of tho part PLAYED hy the
prophet, IN the evolution Of Israel. bring W. Lcnau
10 the institution Of ROYALTY. IL htd hcc1m- 1n
absolute necessity for Israeli All the semitic tIn
in passing from the nOmadic to the settled ~ttir,
had adopted the institution. Israel aiOl~ b "a Tor
two three cen urIss fOuln against dc,ti is.
The patriaicla system, extended lmpcricc,iy Dy
rel gous institutions, by the ark, the cPI0l. the
oracle the prophets the judges had become an I'M
possibility. 1t kept Israel IN state Of infer orIty
rs regarded her nelghbors, especially a 10 tn
Phlllstines. whose territory vas not twentieth
that of Israel, but whose political and military M
etltuuons were much superior 10 all tho oiJcc-
tons raised by the Sagcs, Advocates % the oil ma
lions, the people replied 10, We must have
king that we may be like other nations and That
our king may rule over us, and march al Onr mead,
aud tight our battles
This first jewish king NJ. Renan compares to the
Basieus of the lIomcrIc period and he strongly de
MES the view put by much later historians III the
mouth Of Samuel; that view Of The parity between
the Office of prophet and the Office Of king which
was destined thereafter TO work 80 mach mischief
for the nation saul. he contends, wa altogether
a secular king nor could Samuel have he Il The
views ascrbcd TO him, seeing hat they were nos
then conceived. HIS opinion Of Saul is high much
h CHER than his estimate of DayG, whom IN fact ne
plainly revolts from. aud whose rn.qnltcs he
never fails to characterize III the strongest and
most denuncatory tcIms. " Saul SAYS the his
torian was the organizer Of one tiIng which up TO
that time had no existence, the army OF Israel
But generally, in history. punished for the
good they do, and rewarded for the evil.
History is quite the contrary of virtue recon-
pensed. The family of the true founder of thc
military power of Israel was eX,crminatc T.
The INSCRIPTIONS soldier OF fortune who took his
place became the king after Co.'s own heart
the IeDuted ancestor of jesus, he whom
the opinion Of mankind has crowned with all man
ner of aurcoes Such is the justice of lahvG the
world belongs to those who please him. Yet he
cndeavors to be just TO David. for he observes:
There are men whom popularity anticipates al
most without their seeking IL whom public opinion
takes by the hand, 80 to say; who are by public
Lnd 70 n